Departmental Expenditure Limit

Mr. Miller:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to change the Cabinet Office departmental expenditure limit and the administration cost limit for 200102. [19565]

Mr. Leslie:
Subject to Parliamentary approval of the Winter Supplementary Estimate the Cabinet Office Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) (Resources and Capital) will be increased by £145,606,000 from £202,658,000 to £348,264,000 and the administration costs limit will be increased by £104,803,000 from £141,950,000 to £246,753,000.

Within the DEL change the impact on resources and capital are as set out in the table.

28 Nov 2001 : Column: 902W

£000

Resources

Change

121,427

New DEL

264,449

of which:

Voted

255,844

Non-voted

8,605

Capital

Change

24,179

New DEL

83,815

of which:

Voted

83,815

Non-voted



The change in the resource element of the DEL arises from transfers of £115,271,000 from other Departments for Machinery of Government changes and other arrangements and the draw-down of end-year flexibility of £6,156,000.

The change in the capital element of the DEL arises from the draw-down of end-year flexibility of £22,718,000 and transfers of £1,461,000 from other Departments for Machinery of Government changes.

The increases will be offset by inter-departmental transfers and changed to the DEL reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

These changes when combined with the totals for the Central Office of Information and Civil Superannuation increase DEL by £145,606,000 from £260,469,000 to £406,075,000.

Departmental Policies (Women)

Judy Mallaber:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how his Department monitors the impact of its policies on women. [15974]

Mrs. Roche:
It is important that departments mainstream women's issues into policy making and delivery. The Women and Equality Unit has developed a framework to encourage policy-makers to challenge each stage of policy making. It asks a series of questions to help ensure that policies meet the different needs of women and men. It has been piloted in the Departments of Health and Lord Chancellor's Department and will be reviewed in the New Year.

Through its research and other work, the Women and Equality Unit monitors the impact on women of policies in areas of key importance to women.

EU Regulation

Jim Knight:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress has been made by the Mandelkern Group on better regulation since the last report to this House in March. [19697]

Mr. Leslie:
The Mandelkern Group has met five times since March 2001 and at its last meeting on 1213 November adopted its Final Report. This report was presented by the group's chairman, M. Dieudonné Mandelkern, to the Internal Market, Consumer and Tourism Council on 26 November and has been sent to

28 Nov 2001 : Column: 903W

the Presidents of the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of Ministers. I have placed a copy of the report in the Library of the House.

The report represents a significant achievement. For the first time, representatives of all fifteen member states have signed up to a document setting out in detail the actions that need to be undertaken in order to improve Europe's regulatory environment. It contains a number of concrete, practical recommendations and an Action Plan with realistic timings. In particular, the Action Plan asks the Commission to:

Establish a central web-based consultation register for all EU consultations by June 2002;

Adopt a standard minimum 16-week consultation period from March 2002;

Spearhead a 40 per cent. reduction in the volume of Community acts by June 2004, arising from concerted codification of European legislation by the institutions;

Launch a new targeted simplification programme by June 2002 of existing European legislation in all areas; and

Create throughout the Commission a centrally supported, effective network for better regulation by June 2002.

The Government fully support the Mandelkern Group's report and will be working closely with other member states and the institutions of the EU to seek acceptance and timely implementation of its main recommendations.

Civil Partnership Registration Scheme

Jane Griffiths:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government have to introduce a civil partnership registration scheme. [19567]

Mrs. Roche:
Civil partnership registration and associated rights and responsibilities raise a number of complex issues, which have prompted a growing debate within society. The Government are watching this debate with interest; however, it does not have a settled view.

These issues potentially have significant financial and administrative implications and the Government cannot commit themselves to making any changes in these areas before undertaking a comprehensive analysis of all the implications. The Government will now be examining the issues in detail.

PRIME MINISTER

Security and Intelligence Agencies

(Departmental Spending Limits)

Mark Tami:
To ask the Prime Minister what plans there are to change the (a) departmental expenditure limit and (b) administration costs limits for 200102 for the security and intelligence agencies. [19751]

The Prime Minister:
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the departmental expenditure limit (DEL) for the security and intelligence agencies will be increased by £12,764,000 from £879,069,000 to £891,833,000 and the administration cost limit will be increased by £2,424,000

28 Nov 2001 : Column: 904W

from £439,530,000 to £441,954,000. Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are set out in the following table:

Of which:

Change

New DEL

Voted

Non-voted

Resources

10,214,000

779,284,000

779,284,000



Capital

2,550,000

112,549,000

112,549,000



The change in the resource element of the DEL arises from:

1. the take up of serious crime funding allocated to the Home Office at SR2000 of £9,310,000;

2. a PES transfer of £650,000 from the Home Office Overseas Drugs-Related Assistance Programme;

3. a transfer from DFID's DUP reserve of £100,000;

4. a PES transfer of £146,000 to the Cabinet Office for fast stream recruitment;

5. the take up of end-year flexibility (EYF) carried forward from 200102 of £300,000.

The change in the capital element of the DEL arises from £2,250,000 for serious crime funding allocated to the Home Office at SR2000 and the take up of £300,000 of DEL EYF.

The increases will be offset by inter-departmental transfers and the take up of DEL EYF and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

Delivery Unit

Mr. Amess:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the work of the Delivery Unit. [15976]

The Prime Minister:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 19 November 2001, Official Report, column 83W.

Norman Baker:
To ask the Prime Minister what guidance he has provided to inform the work of the Delivery Unit. [15996]

The Prime Minister:
I established the Delivery Unit to work closely with Departments to ensure that the Government achieve their delivery priorities during this Parliament across the key areas of public service, health, education, crime, asylum and transport.

Travel Costs (Concorde)

Mr. Laws:
To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell), of 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 783W, on travel costs, for what reasons the estimated cost of his travel on Concorde on 7 November will not be made available till the end of the current financial year; and if he will make a statement. [18237]

The Prime Minister:
A detailed list of Cabinet Ministers' visits overseas, and information on spend by all Ministers on travel overseas for the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 will be published as soon as possible after the end of the current financial year.

28 Nov 2001 : Column: 905W

PIU Energy Review

Mr. Jack:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the number of organisations, bodies and individuals who have made a submission to the PIU Energy Review. [15993]

The Prime Minister:
467 submissions have been made to the PIU Energy Review.